The recent panel on "Music and My Writing" I was part of at BristolCon made me want to write more about the impact audio-visual synesthaesia has on my writing, so while I gather my thoughts, here is a piece I wrote on my old site about the music I relied on while writing The Wyld Hunt. - Gunnar
Do you make use of music when writing or reading? If so what book/album combinations are most memorable for you?
Many of my favourite books I have read over the years are unbreakably associated with particular albums. When I re-read the novel, I hear the music, and likewise when I hear the music I remember the novel. This bond is especially strong for me as I have a mild form of audio-visual synaesthesia.
I see sounds.
Different sounds cause different visual patterns. For instance if I hear a sharp sound I can see a criss-cross parquet style pattern (usually in black and white, but sometimes in colour). This normally only happens strongly when I am in the dark, but it can happen in very noisy rooms too. That might sound like a disadvantage, but it has always helped me pinpoint sounds and weave them into my (over active) imagination.
Despite that slight difference, I still assume I am not the only one who tightly binds books read and music listened too.
Of course, this means that music influences my writing greatly. I use it to reinforce the emotional core of a scene when I am writing it. I put together playlists based on the tone of the chapter I am about to write, though I might end up using that playlist for several chapters or more.
I mostly listen to tracks without vocals as I want to be careful not to unconsciously parrot what I have heard, though there are exceptions - mainly for music that is more complex and thoughtful.
Read on for my playlist!
Do you make use of music when writing or reading? If so what book/album combinations are most memorable for you?
Many of my favourite books I have read over the years are unbreakably associated with particular albums. When I re-read the novel, I hear the music, and likewise when I hear the music I remember the novel. This bond is especially strong for me as I have a mild form of audio-visual synaesthesia.
I see sounds.
Different sounds cause different visual patterns. For instance if I hear a sharp sound I can see a criss-cross parquet style pattern (usually in black and white, but sometimes in colour). This normally only happens strongly when I am in the dark, but it can happen in very noisy rooms too. That might sound like a disadvantage, but it has always helped me pinpoint sounds and weave them into my (over active) imagination.
Despite that slight difference, I still assume I am not the only one who tightly binds books read and music listened too.
Of course, this means that music influences my writing greatly. I use it to reinforce the emotional core of a scene when I am writing it. I put together playlists based on the tone of the chapter I am about to write, though I might end up using that playlist for several chapters or more.
I mostly listen to tracks without vocals as I want to be careful not to unconsciously parrot what I have heard, though there are exceptions - mainly for music that is more complex and thoughtful.
Read on for my playlist!
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